This paper focuses on fragments in the Museo Nazionale Romano from life-size obsidian statues – two noses and two male hair fragments – unearthed at the beginning of the 20th century in Rome. These fragments are extremely rare since we find only another fragment of Roman obsidian statue in the British Museum. Depiction of distinctive details, such as in the male nose, allows us to associate these statues with at least two portraits and to propose some identifications with members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. This study thus lends weight to Pliny’s reference to obsidian statues of Augustus. The sculptures can be framed at the beginning of the Empire in the context of productions related to Emperors and to the provincialization of Egypt. Furthermore, very few precious obsidian objects are known during this period, examples of which include inlaid cups from Campania and other objects scattered in different museum collectio
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